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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: last · object · lie · face · stick · march · racket · mug

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. mug — to rob
  5. object — an aim
  6. last — finally
  7. mug — a cup
  8. last — to go on
  9. object — to protest
  10. march — the month
  11. face — to point toward
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. lie — to recline
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. march — music
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. mug — a face
  18. march — the month
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. face — part of the head
  22. last — final
  23. object — a thing
  24. lie — an untruth

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com